Trace carrier



June 26', 1923. ALZH w. F. RAMIGE TRACE CARRIER Filed June 2l. 1922 (Furman,

Patented June v26, 1923.

y UNITED STATES l WILLIAM FrRAMIGE, F ROCKWELL CITY, IOWA'.

TRACE CARRIER.

Application filed June 21, 1822. Serial No. 569,977.

'To all whom t may concern a y Be it known that I, VILLIAM F. RAMIGE,

a citizen of the United States of America,

and resident of Rockwell City, in the county of Calhoun and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ATrace Carriers, of which the following is' a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in trace carriers, and has for an object to provide means for connecting the back and hip straps of harness with a hook for enga-gement withthe end or cock eye ot a trace, there being present, means or closing r the upper end of the hook when sustained thereby. i L

A trace carrier made in accordance with one embodiment of my invention comprises a frame, which has the usual side and end loops for the back and hip straps of harness, and such frame is integral with a trame that occupies a position which locates the latter frame in a higher position than the one which is provided for the harness straps other than the trace. such :trame having guards and between the guards a hook or hooks, with which the cock eye or eyes of a trace or harness may be placed in engagement and so held. The invention also compr'ses a back band loop or frame which maintains at a different elevation or plane, a trace carrying structure having means with which acock eye or ring may engage, and in addition thereto, a resilient member for closing the open end of the cock` eye or trace carrier, there also being present, guards for the hooks.

My invention further consists in the make-up of a frame or back band loop wh'ch is formed integral with a frame having trace carrier hooks, which fra-me carries a spring mounted on a rockable 'fulcrum and located between guards which form a part of the last mentioned frame.

My invention further consists in a trace carrier having a hook or hooks, a spring Jfor engagement with a hook or hooks, the spring and hook or hooks both being maintained above the plane of the back band loop, there also being present, side guards for `the spring and trace carrier hookor hooks.

,In the accompanying drawingsv t `Figure 1 illustrates a `perspective view off; a trace carrier made in accordance with my' invention;` y t I l 1 o 1 Figure 2 illust-rates a section taken to one side of the longitudinal center ot' the device, in which illustrationa pad is shown, associated with thev back straps;

Figure 3 illustrates a plan view; Figure 4 illustrates a transverse section; and

`Figure 5 illustrates a perspective viewof a preferred form of a modiic'ationof my invention.A t 1? Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates the frame to which the usual back and hip straps of a harness are attached. This trame 10 and a hook and guard frame 11 are integral, being connected by members 12 which stand upward and incline inward from the trame 10, such connecting means also being integral with a substantially rectangular frame 13 and guide bars 111 which are arched, and at an intermediate point the side bars ot the frame 11 have upward projecting portions with centrally located recesses to receive the ends or gudgeons that project Jfrom a rocking member 15 or cross bar that is centrally apertured, to receive a flat spring' 16 which may be permanently secured to the rocking bar by a connecting pin or rivet 17 or other appropriate device.

The frame, in addition to the-guards7 carries hooks 18 and the ends of said springs extending inward and being,l engaged by the free ends of the spring.

It'will be readily understood :trom the drawings that the spring, the supporting frame, the hooks and the guards are maintained above the plane of the base portion7 and provide means whereby the spring may be moved to receive the larger wearing porl tion of the usual cock eye attached to traces, and that the side guards prevent any entanglement of straps or driving reins with the structure in use.

In Figure 5, I have shown a modified 'form of my invention which is adapted for use as a hip strap trace carrier, the spring, in such instance, being maintained upon a rocking support, and the upper frame having an apertured projection 19 to receive one end of the spring.

From the foregoing description, it will be noted that the trace carrier or trace end supporter is made up of one piece and coniprises an elliptically shaped frame with members that carry a substantially rectangular frame, the longitudinal bars thereof `having arched rein guards and upstanding lugs with recesses, the transverse bars of the frame having hooks with inward and downward open' ends. The keeper spring for the hooks-is associated ywith a bar which is centrallyaperturedy for the passage ot' a flat spring, of a length suiiicient to engage -with and extend beyond the ends of the hooks. The ends of the spring may be depressed by the cock eye of the trace to position the ends ot' the spring to admit the cock eye below the hook, and when in place,

i the spring holds the cock eye'from displacement; as the end of the spring is depressed, the cross; bar which carries the same, will be rocked and tension thereon will be distributed', and only aflat unbent spring is yrequired for both hooks.

In Fig. 5, which is designed as an attachment for hip straps, there is a single hook` and an upstanding part on the cross bar, the bearing lugs being on the longitudinal upper bars adjacent to the ends of the rein guards.

I claim: p

l. A trace carrierzcomprising a traine having recessed lugs, a transverse bar, the ends of which are sea-ted between the lugs, a flat spring maintained by the bar, and hooks integral with the frame, the ends of said hooks engaging opposite end portions of the spring.

2. A trace carrier comprising a base frame having within its perimeter a pair of upstanding guards, Vintegral transverse menibers having inward extending hooks, the end portions thereotl terminating abovev the plane lof said transverse members, a cross bar centrally positioned and maintained above the plane of the base frame, a flat spring ot greater length than the distance between the ends or' the hooks, said spring being attached to the cross bar to position itsv ends beyond the inward extending ends of the` hooks, the parts, excepting the spring and cross bar to which the spring is attached, being integral.

WILLIAM r. RAMIGE.l 

